


Day Seventy-Four || Goodness

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [74]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-20 16:05:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18128654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Not many - not even himself - would say they see goodness in Uchiha Sasuke. But at least one person disagrees.





	Day Seventy-Four || Goodness

There’s hardly a soul that would argue the goodness in Hinata’s heart. Soft and sweet, never with a harsh word against anyone, she’s a wonderful friend, teammate, sister and daughter. It’d be quite the feat to find someone with something ill to say about her...unless they just happened to be biased that way.

...on the other hand…

Not many people make a case for any goodness in one Uchiha Sasuke. His teammates would rally to his side, but...well, there’s still that flicker of doubt when they’re pressed. The only ones who seem unshakeable in their faith in him would be the few scraps of family he has left. But...well, there might be a  _ little _ bias in play, there.

Hinata, however, seems to agree.

On more than one occasion, he’s leapt to her defense, even if he didn’t really  _ have _ to. She, for reasons she at least partially understands, has found herself as one of the few on the youngest Uchiha’s good side. And while he might be a bit  _ harsh _ at time, he’s just...lost his patience when it comes to things like civility in the face of rudeness or disrespect.

Not so much in his own case, though. Just in others’.

Like hers.

More than once he’s grabbed offenders by their shirts, Sharingan shining as he commands an apology. And while some onlookers wouldn’t call that good...Hinata knows otherwise.

Letting one such troublemaker loose to scamper down the road with his tail between his legs, Sasuke watches coolly until Hinata steps up beside him.

“You really didn’t have to do that,” she assures for what feels like the hundredth time.

And for the hundredth time, he simply replies, “No, didn’t have to. Wanted to, though.”

That earns an exasperated sigh, jogging a few steps to catch up as he starts walking. “Sasuke-kun -”

“Do you have to call me that?”

“...um -?”

“Sakura calls me that, and it grates on my nerves.”

“...oh...I’m sorry, I - I didn’t know. Um…” A pause, and then, “...Sasuke.”

“Better.”

“...where are we going?”

“Well,  _ I _ was going home. Then you started following me.” A dark eye glances to her. “...does that mean you’re coming?”

That earns a surprised blink. Why... _ did _ she start following him? “...I don’t...know?”

“Do whatever you want. Doesn’t bother me.”

Still glancing to him and walking in stride, there’s a moment to consider before just...keeping on. At the very least, she can stop in and see the one of them she knows best. Itachi’s wife helped in her recovery post-chūnin exams, after all. There wasn’t much avoiding them becoming friends after that.

“You ever think about standing up to jerks who talk to you like that?”

Startled from her thoughts, Hinata glances to him. “Um...w-what?”

“That guy who sneered at you. Why didn’t  _ you _ do anything?”

A pause. “...well, p-partly because I knew  _ you _ would.”

Sasuke glances to her, brow furrowed questioningly.

Laughing lightly into her coat cuff, she counters, “W-what? I was right, wasn’t I?”

“...hn.”

After a few more giggles, she goes on. “I don’t know, I guess I just...don’t much mind what anyone says about me now.” Hands clasp behind her back as they walk. “...when I was little, I was either bullied, o-or ignored. You...can guess which I preferred between the two. For a while, I took everything rather...personally. Because people had used them as weapons against me: their words. But...then I grew up. I faced my cousin, and his anger. I faced Pein, without any fear. I fought in the war, and survived. And now…”

All the while, he watches her from the corner of his eye.

“...now, it all seems so...trivial. So, someone doesn’t like me, for...whatever reason. So what? I didn’t survive all I faced to let my time be taken by someone who means nothing to me, saying things I know now aren’t true. I almost died when Neji-nīsan attacked my heart. And again when Pein impaled me. And the war was so perilous...I was lucky. And...looked out for,” Hinata adds softly. “...and now, I’m here. I survived  _ all _ of that, and now...I want to use the time I have to become all I k-know I can be. I don’t know exactly w-what that is, yet...but I know I’ll get there. Or at least, I’ll try. And if I use all my time focusing on...on that, then what time is left over to bother with people who try to bring me down?”

By her words’ end, Ssauke’s expression has slackened slightly with surprise, brow lifted just a hair.

“...what?”

“...nothing. Guess I just...wasn’t expecting that.”

Hinata gives him a wry smile. “...I’ve changed a lot since the last time you k-knew me Sasuke-k...Sasuke. Well...I guess in  _ some _ ways, I’m still the same. But...I’m not afraid anymore. And I walk my  _ own _ path. Not my father’s, or my sister’s…” Ever so slightly, she wilts. “...not Naruto-kun’s. I realized that the only person I need to make proud...is me.”

“...that’s pretty damn smart.”

Head bowing, she can’t help a smile and a hint of a laugh. “Well...it took me a l-long time to learn that. But...better late than n-never, right?”

“True enough.” Considering her a moment longer, Sasuke then offers, “You’re a far better person than I could ever hope to be.”

“W-what? Sasuke, don’t s-”

“It’s just how it is. I don’t have that patience, or that...grace. I might not care what someone says or does to me. But to someone who doesn’t deserve it?” He scoffs. “...the jerk better start running.”

Head tilting as she considers him, Hinata offers, “But...that  _ is _ good.”

“...what?”

“You fight for others. Maybe fighting isn’t  _ always _ the answer,” she admits with a smile at his look. “...but...when you do, you do it for what you feel are the r-right reasons. You want to protect people. And  _ that _ is good.”

For the second time, surprise shifts his features. Apparently, he hasn’t thought about it that way.

By now, they’re passing into the now-unwalled Uchiha compound, no new barrier established since it’s leveling and then re-leveling during and after Pein’s onslaught. In the distance, for now, only one house stands in the large grassy field that was once filled with homes, streets, and shops. One new manor for the three Uchiha men, one wife, and two little ones...so far.

“...are you sure it’s okay I just...drop by unannounced?”

“ _ I _ know you’re coming. It’s not totally unannounced.”

Hinata just gives him a small pout, which he clearly ignores.

“Tadaima.”

A greeting is called back from another room, apologizing as she wrangles the twins for their lunch. Stripping off his shoes, Sasuke nods his head in gesture for Hinata to do the same. “It’s not like you’ve never been here before.”

“I-I know, but -!”

“But nothing - get in here.”

Feeling a bit chastised, she does as asked, hovering like a child not knowing what else to do in a new place.

“Itachi’s never home before dark, and Shisui’s out with Kakashi on bodyguard duty. She only goes in for major surgeries anymore - otherwise she’s stay-at-home.”

“Busy family,” Hinata notes with a smile.

“...yeah…” Hands in his pockets, Sasuke seems to get lost in thought for a moment...but Hinata can guess what enough what he’s thinking. This - all of this - is more than he ever bargained for.

...it makes her so happy for him. After so long of being alone...he has his home, and at least part of his family back.

With them, she knows...that goodness in him will only keep growing.

**Author's Note:**

> A smidge early for once! Woohoo!
> 
> Not...too much to say about this one. Sasuke isn't exactly a model citizen, I will admit. But at his core, his intentions are good. They just often have rather...perilous routes to them, a la Sasuke's impatience and willingness to get his hands dirty to get what he thinks he needs.
> 
> Hinata, at least, can see that.
> 
> Aaanyway...that's really all I've got for tonight lol - thanks for reading!


End file.
